The Importance Of Being Forty
by FlossPyromaniac
Summary: Sometimes Everyone has to face up to what comes to them in life... SLASH HarryRemus. No flames, Ignores HBP


**Title: **The Importance of Being Forty

**Author:** FlossPyromanaic

**Rating:** M

**Notes:** For jadzia7667 who's request this was... and of course my beta iheartwillhoge. Enjoy. SLASH smut. Harry/Remus.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, no money, don't sue

Remus Lupin wandered past the calendar in 12 Grimmauld Place and almost had a heart attack. It was 12th January tomorrow, and then meant only one thing. Something he had been doing his best to forget all about. His fortieth birthday…

Remus was not one of those people who had problems with getting older, but reaching age 40 was a milestone no unattached wizard was ever likely to forget.

It was an ancient tradition, passed down through the generations that if a witch or wizard had not married by age forty, they were to perform a ritual to find out who their soulmate was, in order to keep up the population and help wizards find love, as the results were always reciprocal.

Remus, however, was not so excited. He had avoided dating for many years, not wanting to burden anyone with the responsibility of having to deal with someone who would quite like to chew on his or her leg once a month.

What would he be expected to do with this knowledge? Ignore it? There may have been no compulsion involved, but it was seen as proper to act on the information given to the individual.

Remus sighed, he was already late in returning to his teaching post at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry due to a poorly timed full moon, and he would have to return tomorrow to have Albus preside over the ceremony.

He wouldn't be getting a lot of sleep that night, he could tell.

Remus ascended the stairs up the Headmaster's office cautiously, and as slowly as possible, already dreading what was to happen. He had not had to deal with romantic entanglements since the summer, when he had received an unexpected offer that he could not, would not, take. He moved to knock on the door.

'Come in, Remus.'

He shuffled into to the room, feeling altogether like being 17 and having been caught pranking a member of staff. Remus was working very hard to contain his shaking, as the details of the ritual itself were only revealed to those about to perform it.

'It is good to see you back, my boy. Are you prepared?'

Remus was overly tempted to scream 'No!' and run for the hills, but instead he gave a shaky nod.

'Excellent, now simply stand before me, and say the following incantation: _Invenio Socium Animae_, and then you will know who your soulmate is.'

Remus blinked, it was that easy? And no one else would know?

He stood forward, to say the words as instructed and a great rush of knowledge came upon him, he **felt **whom his soulmate was. That very person who had offered himself to Remus over the summer. None other than the Boy-Who-Lived himself, Harry Potter.

Bugger.

Remus was beginning to panic. He didn't know what to do for the best. He couldn't deny that he was attracted to Harry, that was what had made it so hard to refuse his persistent advances over the summer, but it was unethical.

Harry was still his student.

Yet, he had made it clear that Remus' lycanthropy was not an issue.

But, he must have given up on him by now; after all he had started dating Seamus after he had returned for 7th year.

There had been no reason not to brush off Harry's advances before now, nothing to suggest his feelings were anything more than a teenage crush but now he knew they were soul mates…

It occurred to Remus that the Headmaster had been trying to get his attention for what was probably a lengthy period of time.

'My boy, I believe you have a class in about 10 minutes?'

'Yes, thank you, Albus'

'Good luck, my boy.'

Remus left the Headmaster's office feeling a little confused. Then he realised his first class was his seventh years. This did not bode well.

Defense Against the Dark Arts had been a very strange class that morning. Harry had notice that Remus… um… Professor Lupin had been very distracted and he had caught his professor looking at him several times. Harry couldn't think of a reason and when in doubt he did what anyone would do. Asked Hermione.

She gave him a rather surprised look.

'Well, it's to be expected isn't it?'

Harry looked at her blankly.

'It's his fortieth birthday, and he must have performed the ritual before he came to class.'

Harry continued to stare at her blankly.

'Honestly, don't you read? All unattached wizards and witches perform a ritual to see whom their soulmate is when they are forty. Professor Lupin must have just found out whom is his soulmate.'

Harry knew that intellectually this should not bother him. He had Seamus now, and was over his infatuation with Remus. He was. Really. Yet, he was undeniably jealous.

'Harry. Harry!'

Harry turned round to see Seamus bouncing up towards him, smiling coyly.

'What do you say to a trip to the Room of Requirement Harry? Later on, just the two of us?'

'Hmmmm? Oh, no not tonight Seamus, sorry.'

'You know what Harry? I'm sick of you taking me for granted, always expecting me to be there when you need me to! We're finished!'

That decided things for Harry. He couldn't resist the temptation any longer. He would go down to Remus' rooms tonight and find out whom his soulmate was, because he was determined to show him that he was what Remus really needed.

Later that night Harry found himself sneaking through the candlelit corridors under his invisibility cloak. He knew the password to Remus' rooms and all he had to do was put his plan into action.

He found Remus sat in his favourite armchair by the fire, and Harry smirked, this would be too easy.

He dropped down, straddling Remus' lap, throwing off the invisibility cloak.

'I know that you found out today whom your supposed 'soulmate' is, but I know the only person you'll ever need…'

Harry began to kiss down Remus' neck.

'…Is me.'

'Harry…'

'Shush, let me show you.'

Harry began to slowly open the neck on Remus' shirt, continuing to kiss and suck on Remus' neck, until he took it off entirely and began to lick his way down the scarred chest revealed to his eyes.

Harry encircled one nipple with his tongue, biting and sucking on the flesh as Remus tried to choke out his last protests.

'H-harry…'

Harry responded by pulling off his own shirt, revealing a lithe, tanned body, and conclusively proving that Quidditch was good for something. He quickly dove back down, tongue first onto Remus' chest, his nimble fingers fiddling with the fastenings on Remus' trousers.

It was too close to the end of the full moon, and the wolf was howling for union with it's mate as Remus finally gave in and lifted his hips to allow Harry to pull his trousers down and off. He then leant forward to capture Harry's mouth in a first, bruising kiss.

Harry gasped at the sudden contact and a tongue slid into his mouth, tangling with his own, fighting for dominance...

**(Sex Scene cut for regs... go to my lj if you are old enough for the full version)**

...Harry looked into Remus' eyes. The man seemed to be undergoing some sort of revelation as he stared over at the other occupant of his bed. Harry was being to worry until Remus pulled him into his arms.

'Go to sleep, we'll talk about this in the morning.'

They snuggled together, but something was still on Harry's mind. He knew he would probably live to regret asking, but…

'Remus?'

'Mmmm?'

'Who is supposed to be your soulmate anyway?'

'You are… Goodnight Harry.'

''Night Remus'

And they all lived happily ever after…

**THE END**

**Author's Note: **I had a great time writing this so please R&R... Cut section on my lj... go through my homepage... Merry Christmas!

Floss


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